5 comments about Make Your Own Electric Guitar.

1. Fed up with my local musical instrument retailers, I set out to build my very own guitar armed with this book: Make Your Own Electric Guitar by Melvyn Hiscock. I have to say I learned A LOT from this book, it's got a lot of very detailed information. However as an absolute beginner to this art who has a lot of questions, I can say it has some shortcomings.
   
   For one, as another reviewer mentioned, there are way too may pages spent babbling on about the history of the electric guitar. This would all be fine and good, BUT it is mixed in with the instructional text, so there's no way to skip over it or read around it. It's not like you can just skim until you find what you need because when building a guitar, missing the slightest detail can leave you completely screwed. You actually have to read it all to get the details you need, and it isn't always interesting or relevant. The history content should have been separated from the instructional text, the net result is a book that is not very clear or concise.
   
   Secondly, I hope you're a fan of Fender and/or Gibson, because the entire book is centered around them. You'll learn the history of these two brands from the very first one built onwards. Also all the specs for the building are based on those of Fender and Gibson. I don't mind this, as I am a fan of both, but this book does not give an answer-all formula for any style guitar, if such a thing exists.
   
   Melvyn describes the craft in a very great amount of detail and he is very honest, but to me the book was more discouraging than anything. Perhaps I could save you some time right now before you even buy this:
   
   -To build a guitar you need some ABOVE AVERAGE woodworking skills. If you just woodwork in your spare time or you never have, do not even attempt this.
   -You need a lot of tools that I can almost gaurantee you don't have in readily available to you.
   -Building your own guitar wil NOT save you money. You will most likely end up spending more money than you would on a brand new guitar.
   
   Those are just a few of the many things you should be aware of perhaps even prior to purchasing this book. Hope this was helpful, thanks for reading!



2. This book does have useful information and reference, but is not the 'Fantastic', 'Electric guitar bible', that it has been touted to be here and on luthier sites.
   Book is organized logically, but it doesn't exactly flow, and even though some bits are humorous it doesn't make up for drab writing. Melvin is a great builder and does make nice guitars.
   
   The book probably is worth the money for the first time builder, but not for someone who has built one or two already.



3. I am a hobby builder and, like many, I suppose, had made some beginner mistakes and was unsure of some proper techniques. This book is excellent whether you are building a guitar from scratch and making every part by hand, or using some ready made parts (perhaps neck and body) then assembling and setting up an instrument yourself. The wiring section is particularly helpful, both for builders and repair people. The book is written in a self effacing, witty British style. Lots of good photographs and diagrams are included as well.



4. This is quite an informative book for a beginner electric guitar or other electric instrument maker. There are three chapters which follow the course of making two guitars and a bass, and different neck/ body constructions are covered pretty well through these instructional examples. Different techniques for different applications are examined. I think the structure could be more logical and progressive for this book, but it's not a major detraction. I think that there could be a more fundamental analysis of constructing a guitar rather than basing the work on traditional and contemporary practices. In this way guitar makers could come up with there own ideas and approaches, but overall it's a good book in a subject area that seems pretty scant for want of information. Also sometimes the author is a little misleading for the sake of telling a joke, for instance about 'bashing in' frets. It could be edited better.



5. Excellent book for building and electric guitar. The instructions are wonderfully clear. There is also loads of general guitar information you'll pick up as you read through it.
   
   Worth reading for any guitar enthusiast whether you or not you are considering building one yourself.

5 comments about The Disney Collection (Easy Piano Series).

1. GRREEEAATT!!! If you love disney songs like I do, you should definitely get this book. All the songs have vocal and piano parts. I for one only use the voice. This book is definitely the best disney classics book.



2. my girls use this over and over! they love to play the songs from Disney, and I saved alot buying it on Amazon!



3. This book contains a huge variety of disney songs, however, they are a bit too easy. I think that the over simplified versions of the songs lose the melody that you would expect from a more advanced version.



4. We love the book, my children are in books 2 of Faber, and these songs are challenging for them, but they are motivated by the fun songs!



5. I purchased this book like 2 months ago. The music is great, however, it seems too easy for me to play with... no challenge actually. The left hand barely move any, so... you know the idea.. well, I have an advise. If you have just known how to play piano for like 2 or 3 months. Then, this is your book.

5 comments about The Mandolin Chord Book (Mandolin).

1. As the others have said this is a good book to keep handy for your practice sessions. The only gripe I have is that if I want to learn how to play an Am7b5 I want to look in the key of A section. But that chord is the 7th chord in a harmonized B scale so it's in the "Key of B" section. If I want to find a G anything chord I expect it to be in a section on G chords, not in G for some chords and C for others and in A minor for others. This means that quite often you have to search the book to find the one you're looking for.

   Lots of good chords here. They're just organized oddly.




2. As you've most likely read in other reviews on this product, chords in this book are organized by key and not alphabetically. I really hated the organization of the chords at first. However, after some amount of initial frustration the more I used the book, the more I appreciated it. I would never have thought to order a chord reference in this fashion. It's turned out to be quite a useful reference tool.



3. Simple and good for a beginner like me. A good tool.



4. The booklet is very handy and the way the chords are arranged (by key) is good.



5. "Get you a chord book," said the crusty old guy who restrung my mandolin. As a beginner, this book is top-notch, presenting the chords in their keys.

4 comments about Essentials Elements 2000 For Strings: Violin: Book Two.

1. I had to buy this book for the strings class at college. The whole class was bored to death for the whole semester, despite the good effort by the instructor to make the best of it. It looks like the publisher decided to divide the Essential Elements for Strings (which is a fine beginning book that I did several years ago) into 2 books in order to generate more business. If you already know the notes in the first position, don't waste your money on this book. There are lots of good post-absolute-beginner book for violin - Spotlight on Strings, ABCs of Violin, All for Strings, String Builder, or Essential Elements for Strings (NOT this 2000 thing). For private instructions for beginners, I would recommend Doflein Book 1 and Suzuki Book 1.



2. The book is very helpful as it shows at each stage of progression the proper techniques to hold the violin, the proper placement of the fingers, and other good illustrations. The lessons are straight forward and easy to follow.



3. While it's true that this second book in the series is dry, it still does a great job of covering the "next steps' in learning to play. The lessons, despite being a bit dry, do a great job of clearly explaining these techniques. I use this book in my home violin studio and have had great success with it, with students of all ages and playing abilities; BUT I supplement this book's lessons with additional music.



4. I bought this book for my son to practice violin. It is very helpful to him.

5 comments about Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar.

1. This book promises to make players faster, cleaner, and more technically adapt. It does just that. In the short hours I have had this book in my possession, I have already begun to see minor improvements to my general technique. If this can make an improvement (albeit minor) to my playing in such a short time, imagine what it can do to my playing over a longer, more dedicated time!
   
   The content is simply marvelous. The beginner may have frustrations trying to understand the concepts, and Troy doesn't waste too much time explaining some of the ideas, such as modes, chords, and general theory. However, if you've had your fair schooling of theory and guitar basics, and wish to advance your playing technique through serious work and study and practice, this book is perfect for you.
   
   The CD, as many have already noted, does not divide the exercises too well. However, it is still easy to find whatever exercise your heart desires, provided you're playing the CD over a computer. The sound quality is studio-worthy.
   
   The actual print quality is also very crisp and clear. No need to worry about whether that smudge is telling you to hammer on or slide! Some exercises' print is slightly small, leaving plenty of white space on the page, but it is all perfectly readable to even I, with horrid vision.
   
   Overall, it is a must for any guitarist stuck on that blasted speed plateau, or shredders wishing to go even faster and cleaner.



2. I bought this for my 14yo, along with Metal Lead Guitar/Book and Cd (Vol. 1). They must be good because he leaves them all over the house after he's used them. They keep moving around, so he must be using them.



3. Pros
   - Helps focus development of technique
   - breaks down a method that can be applied for learning to use many different scales and modes
   - has a great systematic approach for identifying troubling passages and correcting them
   
   Cons
   - can be a little overwhelming when the CD blazes through some of the drills at 250 beats per minute
   - while playing chromatic phrases builds finger independence, it is just not very interesting to listen to (this is only part of the book)
   
   I'm have worked with this book for a couple weeks and I have noticed that already my fingers are quicker and my timing is more spot on. It is good for focusing on the important elements of technique.



4. this book is excellent for improving your techinque. if you take your time and follow the directions you'll begin to see improvement very quickly. this book is full of warm up excercises, and speed excercises (starting at slow speeds is emphisized). its divided in sections to focus on picking and fretting and contains a few songs. rythmic abilities are focused on as well as creativity. if you want to learn to shred this will help you get there.



5. This is a great book to help build your lead chops IF you know how to practice. Troy does a really poor job of explaining some of the essential things you must know in order to improve. One of the biggest being muscle tension and how you must eliminate it from your hands while playing. He never mentions stuff like that once and that's just really, really stupid cause you can practice those exercises for thousands of hours tensed up and never really get better unless you correct it. Same with muscle memory no explanation. So if you're a beginner and wants to shred buy the book AND get a good teacher and you'll be on your way.

5 comments about Suzuki Violin School (Suzuki Violin School Cd): Vol. 1 (Suzuki Violin School CD).

1. It's really unfortunate that the performance on this CD does seem to sound too sharp as pointed out by a previous reviewer, who's a Suzuki teacher. Our violins (both mine and my daugther's) always sound quite a bit flatter than this CD after being tuned by my daughter's Suzuki teacher, who has perfect pitch. One time earlier on, I also tried tuning our violins w/ this CD as aid (thinking our violins had gone too flat), and the teacher thought they were oddly out of tune more than usual (or in an odd way I guess since they were sharp, not flat) -- well, she didn't really say so, but her facial expression and gesture said it all. :-) I never really brought this up w/ her before, but I think I will in our next lesson. And perhaps, I'll buy a different CD for this series as well -- maybe the David Nadien version as suggested elsewhere.



2. Several people have commented on this recording sounding sharp. I suspect it has to do with different tuning standards. the standard tuning pitch here in the States is A 440, but in other parts of the world A 445 is often used. It would sound sharp by comparison, but is not necessarily "wrong".



3. I have been taking a lesson from Suzuki method teacher, and this CD has been a great suppliment in my busy life. Just listening to this CD for 5-10 minutes a day ( during the commute or cooking time) has been helping me to understand what I need to work on. My daily practice time is avarage 15 minutes or so, but I have been making good enough progress because of this listening program.



4. I received my delivery in a timely manor and was able to enjoy The Suzuki Violin CD Volume 1 I ordered. It was exactly what I expected being from volume 1, it concentrated on strings A, and E. This CD was recommended by my daughters Suzuki Violin Teacher to help her learn by ear what the these two strings used in various songs sound like. It was worth the purchase since my daughter is a beginning Suzuki student, ... I may have to go out for volume 2 soon since she's fallen in love with her violin.



5. I've been a Suzuki teacher for 12 years. I found that this CD is really out of tune and in many cases sloppy. It has one cool feature and that is it's Suzuki playing Suzuki and he was in his 80s (I think) when it was recorded. The two other CD's available, however, in some cases have lightning fast tempos. The new Midi CD-ROM seems to have solved that issue.

5 comments about Music Reading for Guitar (The Complete Method).

1. This book is ideal for the beginning guitarist and it has many explanations of the most usual musical signs.
   
   I recommend this method since I use it, many years ago, and my students are feeling ver comfortable with it.



2. This book is very good for a beginner. Just about everything you need to know is in there. The reason I say "Just about everything" is because with the guitar there are many tricks and methods but this book covers what you need.



3. This book deals with learning how to read music on many levels. It starts with basic concepts and ends with advanced sightreading.
   
   It is not written for casual reading, you will need to spend time with guitar in hand. Bring along a metronome as well.
   
   This book assumes that you have been playing the guitar for a while (2 years) and that you have never given serious thought to learning to read music.
   
   The music presented is mostly classical and not familiar to most players.
   It would really benefit from an accompanying CD which it does not have.
   
   Good luck.



4. The author is a cool guy. One of the best music instructors I've ever had. His book is amazing. If you want to learn to read, just click 'buy now'. The only things this books can't provide for you is daily practice (YOU have to provide that) and a practice partner. Having a reading buddy will help a lot but not entirely needed.



5. I can read music now!!!! This book REALLY helps, it explains everything so clearly. Anyone can learn to read music with this book!!

5 comments about Violin For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. I am an adult who wanted to learn to play the violin without the expense of private lessons. So far, this book has been very easy to follow and the instructions are very clear. The CD is wonderful, it includes short videos and mp3 songs. I can play along with the songs and know that the notes are correct.
   My only compaint is that I found alot of the photos in the book hard to see. They are in black and white and the photos are far to dark.



2. Even though I am learning violin, I am not a dummy, and I do not like to be taught like one. There are much better book out there to learn how to play violin.



3. Katharine Rapoport brings a lot of experience to light in this book; designed for the very beginner through advanced. If you are trying to tackle violin pedagogy on your own maybe because you can't afford private lessons or maybe your schedule is not conducive for private lessons, or whatever reason; this book is a good place to start. The instruction is informative, structured, and relaxed in nature.



4. As a book about violin basics, this is OK. However as a book about learning to play the violin, it fails. There is an included disk containing both audio and video clips, but it is only good for the audio clips. The video did not work on my copy of Real Player. I finally learned that if I were to pay another $40 to Real Player I could look at the videos that I had purchased. While the line drawings in the book are good, the photographs are very difficult to make sense of. They are all black and white and they have not been well done. For this reason, I would not recommend this book. Spend your money elsewhere.



5. This thing is a life saver! I've always wanted to play the violin but new nothing about it or even how to read music. I bought a cheap violin here on amazon and this book helped me set it up, tune it and play a song...and i don't even know how to read music!!!! this thing is a great companion if you are just starting out. Even before i had my violin fully tuned i was sounding good...not at all with the screetching people think of when a person is starting out. This book rocks! plus super fast delivery...just a couple of days!!

5 comments about Guitar Chord Encyclopedia (Ultimate Guitarist's Reference).

1. This book has tons of chords with tons of variations for each. However, you should know what you're getting before you buy it. This is NOT a chord progession book. It will not tell you how to use the chords. If you already know what chords you want to play, this book will help you find possible variations.



2. This is the best guitar chord encyclopedia I know of. It is comprehensive and portable, the spiral binding allows for easy hands free reference, and the price is right. Multiple voicings for chords are provided in chord diagram formmat. The introduction to chord theory is an added bonus as is the fingerboard chart on the back cover. Fits perfectly into a guitar case.



3. This book is a good reference for all the basic voicings of every chord. If you want jazz chords (or any other genre of music) this book won't give it. If you don't have a chord reference book, or are unhappy with the one you have, this is the book you want.
   
   The only drawback I found was I thought I was buying the spiral bound edition (for ease of use). This was not the case. I was under this false impression because there is a review on this book that remarked on the ease of use because of the spiral binding. So, if binding matters to you, you may want to confirm the binding before purchasing.
   
   Caveat Emptor -- The spiral bound though smaller in size, has fewer pages (I would expect more pages to compensate for the size). It might not contain all the chords the regular edition does. Be sure to check this out if it matters to you.



4. This book is really helpful. I really like the way it's set up. Nothing but happy customers here.



5. I wanted a comprehensive reference for finding different forms of the "weird" chords, and this book seems to fill the bill. I don't know where they come up with some of the chord forms that are used in song books or online tab, but it's great to have a reference that shows you the alternatives.

5 comments about How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!: The Electric Guitar Owner's Manual (Guitar Player Book).

1. Dan is the granddaddy of electric guitar repair. If you want to understand guitar work, buy this book. If you are happy playing an out of tune guitar, or don't want your guitar to play and sound its best, then don't buy this book.



2. Dan Erlewine's book is fantastic. The detailed factory spec setups and the setups of the pro's alone, is worth the price of admission. Dan shows how to inspect a guitar before you buy (where was this book 20 years ago, Dan??), and how to properly clean, set-up and maintain your guitar.
   
   This is a book specifically for ELECTRIC guitars, the adjustments for various bridges, nuts, tremolo systems,and intonation are thoroughly explained with lots of photos. He also shows how to use or make simple, home-made or hardware store tools.
   
   There is an excellent section on tuning and intonation every guitar player should know! The Buzz Feiten Tuning System is discussed and there are tons of tips and tricks to get your guitar in tune, and to help it stay in tune.
   
   Dan's writing style is very easy to understand. And his use of graphics, both line art illustrations and photo documentation, help the reader get a clear, real-world sense of the subject matter.
   
   This is truly the manual your guitar should have come with.
   I consider this book, along with the Guitar Player Repair Guide, to be essential to any electric guitar owner, and absolutely required for anyone in the guitar repair business.



3. That's the reaction I have almost every time I use this book. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that this may not be the best book for the rote beginner. But if you have a bit of guitar playing and fixing experience, this is THE book that will get your prized guitars playing perfectly. Erlewine has a giant workshop full of tools, but most of us don't need anything more than some basic tools, patience and the confidence to do things like adjust the relief on a strat or tele neck and swap out stock pickups for better ones. His book gives you the confidence to do it.



4. I was about 5- to 7-years-old when I watched Dan Erlewine and his band, The Prime Movers, rehearse in my basement and across the street in my neighbors' living room. Then, in 1969 at age 8, I started playing guitar and haven't stopped. Finally in April 2008, I bought Dan's books, "Guitar Player Repair Guide" and "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great." Wish I'd had this information 30 years ago.
   
   Brilliant.



5. In all due respect to the reviewer about terminology. One only needs to type in the word on a Google search to find the answer. Thus, lower bout is the extended part below the waist of the guitar. The upper bout being the body part closest to the neck or fretboard.